SIMULTANEOUSLY A SAD STORY ABOUT TRANSPHOBIA & A HEARTWARMING ALLY STORY

During a discussion a few days ago about how important it is for LGBT people and our allies to be allies to each other, a student named Kendralyn told the following beautiful story, which I share with her permission:

“Queer people sometimes assume that when I’m not in “their” spheres, I get to leave and go about my business living as any other straight person would. But I am always an ally no matter where I am. When I was home in Upstate NY, I was riding a city bus. At one of the stops a transgender woman, who didn’t present like a “typical” woman, got on. And I witnessed people being extremely nasty to her. They were saying things like, “It’s not Halloween yet”, “You’re a freak”, and people actually got up and moved to sit away from her. I stood from my seat and sat next to her and we had a lovely conversation. At one point, she was saying how sad it is that she gets made fun of and how people don’t understand her and that they call her ugly and I told her, “I think you’re beautiful.” People were giving us looks, but we smiled and kept talking with one another.”